The Massmail tool provides a convenient web interface to submit and distribute email to large campus audiences.** Any student or faculty or staff member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign can request to send Massmail. This service is provided free of charge by Public Affairs.
To create and submit a Massmail message for approval, you must have a valid NetID and password. Pending approval from the appropriate office, the Massmail may go out in a timely manner or be scheduled for future release.
Audiences
Messages can be sent to one or more of the following campus audiences:
- Academic Professionals/Allied Agencies
- Civil Service Staff
- Faculty
- Graduate Students
- Undergraduate Students
- Unpaid, Hourly, and Extra Help
The approximate count for each of these groups is provided in the Massmail tool, and is updated regularly from the campus database.
The approval process
Each Massmail must be approved by a designated University or campus administrative office before it is sent. These offices have jurisdiction over the Urbana-Champaign campus, or in some cases, the whole University, and can approve a Massmail mailing.
The following administrative offices can approve Massmail messages:
- Office of the Chancellor
- Office of the Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
- Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research
- Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
- Dean of the Graduate College
- Office of the President
- Public Safety
Public Affairs, with the approval by the chancellor or the appropriate vice chancellor also has the authority to approve and distribute Massmail communications to faculty, staff and students.
The Massmail tool lists the associated approvers with each office, to advise who will be involved in the approval process.
Massmail alternatives
If your message needs to go to a more defined or specific audience (e.g., just first-year undergraduates), you may want to consider Email+ for sending bulk emails. Email+ integrates with Group Manager to send out mass mailings to virtually unlimited groups and offers a subscribe/unsubscribe feature. Additionally, see the Outreach Vehicles page from Public Affairs.
Email client/browser support
Massmails are delivered with HTML formatting. Standard email clients that fully support HTML will work properly such as Outlook, Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo.
See also:
** While Massmail is available to most campus users, delivery may not reach every person on campus immediately due to individuals' infrequent email access or lack of an email address. Massmail is configured to deliver messages to recognized HR classifications (i.e., students, staff, or faculty). This ensures reaching a significant portion of campus members, but there are some individuals who do not fall into these classifications and may not receive Massmail messages.
